Founded in 1972, the University of Limerick (UL) is a research-led university located on a large parkland campus along the River Shannon. It is known for pioneering cooperative education in Ireland, placing a strong emphasis on industry engagement.
The University of Limerick, UL, is a public research university founded in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, and awarded university status in 1989. It has about 17,500 students and 1,600 staff, and around one student in ten comes from abroad. The campus at Castletroy covers more than 130 hectares of parkland on both banks of the River Shannon, about five kilometres from the city of Limerick.
UL is known for its Cooperative Education programme, in which students spend up to eight months in a paid placement with an employer. This is the largest scheme of its kind in Ireland, and it is a main reason why graduates of the university find jobs quickly. The Living Bridge, a footbridge over the Shannon linking the two halves of the campus, is one of the best-known landmarks of the site.
The university is organised in four faculties, covering arts, humanities and social sciences, education and health sciences, science and engineering, and the Kemmy Business School. The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance is a highly regarded centre for traditional music, and the Bernal Institute carries out research in materials science, pharmaceutical science and advanced manufacturing. The campus also has a national sports arena with a 50-metre pool, which is a centre for Irish athletes.
Irish and other EU undergraduates generally pay no tuition under the Free Fees Initiative but pay a yearly student contribution, while students from outside the EU pay tuition that varies by programme. Check the current tariffs. Irish applicants use the CAO system, and international students and postgraduates have their own application routes.
Teaching is in English. Limerick is cheaper than Dublin, and campus housing is available in several student villages. The Shannon airport is nearby, and Galway and Cork are both within about two hours by road.
UL is renowned for its cooperative education program, the largest in Ireland, with an extensive network of over 2,000 employers for student placements, both nationally and internationally.
Research:
UL has a strong research ethos with particular strengths in materials science, software, and advanced manufacturing. It hosts the SFI Bernal Institute and the Lero SFI Research Centre for Software.
Famous Alumnis:
Pat Cox, Jean Butler
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1600
Current students***:
17500
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
85000
Pros
Excellent graduate employability due to its renowned cooperative education (internship) program. A beautiful, modern campus with outstanding sports facilities.
Cons
The campus is located outside of Limerick city, and public transport connections could be better. The social scene is largely campus-based.
Best For
Students seeking an education that integrates strong academic learning with extensive, practical work experience in their chosen field.
Where this university leans on software engineering, Dublin City University does the same, and it covers bioengineering and chemistry as well, and has almost the same size, at about 17,500 students.
Among national alternatives, Trinity College Dublin stands out for its focus on software engineering, and it is also a public institution and also offers mba programmes.
Munster Technological University follows much the same lines as this university, with mechanical engineering and software engineering as common ground, and it is also a public institution, and also offers associate degree, certificate and diploma programmes.
University of Galway takes a similar route through software engineering, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers marine science and civil engineering as well.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics and software engineering can consider Dundalk Institute of Technology, and it is far smaller, with about 5,200 students against roughly 17,500 here, and is also a public institution.
École de technologie supérieure in Canada pursues a similar profile in aerospace, manufacturing and mechanical engineering, and it also offers certificate programmes and covers telecommunications and engineering as well.
For aerospace, robotics and mechanical engineering outside the home country, Northwestern Polytechnical University in China is a natural reference; it is larger, enrolling about 28,131 students against roughly 17,500 here, and is also a public institution.
In Russia, Bauman Moscow State Technical University teaches much the same core subjects, aerospace, robotics and mechanical engineering, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers automation and engineering as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is the University of Limerick?
At Castletroy, about five kilometres from Limerick city, Ireland, on the River Shannon.
When was it founded?
In 1972, and it received university status in 1989.
How large is it?
About 17,500 students and 1,600 staff.
What is Cooperative Education?
A programme in which students spend up to eight months in a paid placement with an employer.
What is the Living Bridge?
A footbridge across the Shannon that links the two halves of the campus.
What is the Irish World Academy?
A school of music and dance with a strong focus on traditional Irish music.
What is the Bernal Institute?
A UL research institute for materials science, pharmaceutical science and advanced manufacturing.
Does UL charge tuition?
Irish and other EU undergraduates generally pay no tuition under the Free Fees Initiative but pay a student contribution. Students from outside the EU pay tuition that varies by programme. Check the current tariff.
How do you apply?
Irish undergraduates apply through the CAO system. International students and postgraduates have separate routes.
Is Limerick cheaper than Dublin?
Yes, living costs are generally lower, and campus housing is available.
Additive Manufacturing, Engineering, Innovation, Materials Science, Product Development, Quality Management, Research and Development, Software Engineering
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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